네트노그라피를 활용한 유아교육기관 재선택 고려요인 탐색

Abstract

This study aimed to explore the factors that parents consider when reselecting early childhood education institutions and to analyze their preferences and non-preferences by institution type. To this end, a netnographic approach was used to collect posts from online parenting communities. The data were coded and categorized to derive the key factors influencing reselection, followed by an analysis of preferred and non-preferred factors across the eight types of institutions. The analysis identified eight main categories—curriculum, commuting, human factors, physical environment, institutional management, parental burden, elementary school transition, and others—comprising 33 sub-factors. Among these, sub-factors under curriculum, such as specialized programs/extracurricular activities, experiential learning and events, and in-house specialized education, were particularly prominent. This indicates that parents' reference to “curriculum” often pertains to various activity- and experience-based educational content rather than formal Nuri curriculum. An analysis of the proportion of sub-factors revealed that commuting convenience, facilities and size, specialized programs/extracurricular activities, parental expenses, and child characteristics were the top five factors that parents considered most important when reselecting an institution. Furthermore, this study analyzed preferences and non-preferences by institution type, providing a multi-dimensional understanding of parental expectations and needs. The findings are expected to serve as foundational data for improving the practicality of early childhood education policies. Moreover, it offers implications for strengthening the public nature of early childhood education and care in the context of integrating education and childcare services.